Key-locking mechanism for automatic musical instruments.



T. y. BROWE.. KEY LOGKINGAMBCHANISM FOR AUTOMATH: MUSICAL-hzfsTRUMENTSg APPLICATION FILED enfin, 1905.

:o out in the` claims at the end Cof this specifi- VsrAriis; enr-sion.

THEonoRn-)Pg lnaowu; ,on .WORCESTER-,f .teresacHusirr'rs.; Ker-Looms' MECH/imam me AUT-mue MUSICAL maniements.

vff. 341,114; f

Specicaton vof Letters Patent.

rasant-ed Jan. 15, 1.9.07;

.Application and sapiente 2e, niet. serai NDL? esatti.

To" a'lfwtom t may concern., Beit lmetvnthat L 'Tnnonoan P. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,- res'iding Worcester, .in the 'county lof Worcester and Statelofl l-schusetts, have invented a new and usen ,tomatic Musical Instruments,L of which the is a speciication.- V invention relates to that class of ausomatic music al instruments which are played l''r tension. j V- The especial object of this invention is to pro-vide a simple and direct pneumaticallyoperated means for locking the keys cian automatic musical instrument While the in- It'l'ument is being played mechanically.

To this end this invention consists of the pneumatic key-locking mechanism and the combinations of Aparts therewith as 'hereinalter described, and more particularly point'- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is perspective View, partly in section, of suffi- 'cient parts of an automatic piano oisimilar instrument to illustrate the application oi invention thereto; and Fig. 2 is a fragfke llever.

the use of an automatic musical instrument-such, for example, as an automatic piano Which is adapted to be playedeither "echanically or from a keyboard it is desirable to hold the keys stationary during mechanical playing. In an instrument equipped according to this invention I' have accomplished this purpose by a pneumatic key-lock, which automatically engages and ho Wind-inducing apparatus is operated to produce air tension.

Referringto the accompanying drawings and in detail,- W designates the wind-liest or one of the storage-chambers 'from which air is exhausted by' any ordinary pumping apparatus or in which tension may be olotained in the usual or ordinary manner.

:Extending down from the Wind-chest Wis a pipe 11, which connects to the base part of an operating-pneumatic 12. The operatngpneumatic 12 is normally expanded m the l,ordinary Way. The Inovablesection of the pneumatic 12, which is drawn down when the pneumatic is connected to air tension, is provided with an upwardly-extending rod 13.

L'Locking Mechanism for Au-` iiiiitary viewl ofthe lock-bar and part of a ds the keys Whenever the bellows or other 'I The pneumatic 12 is located substantially under one'side ofthe keyboard of the' instrument. .Extending from the base part ofthe the base part cfa-second pneumatic 15 at the opposite side oi'l the instrument.

the' ne'umatic" 15 is connectedto an upwar yextending operating rod 16. The o erating-rods13 Aand 16 are connected at teir up er ends to .st-transverse locking-bar 17, Whio, is arranged over the ends of the lieydeversl and. is provided with a bottom layeroi felt 1 8. Giving to the location oi thepneumatics 12 and 15 in substantially verticalalinement with 'the keyboard; these connections are direct and very-simple.

By means of thisconstruction when the` ics will be collapscdto hold the lock-bar' down in the position illustrated in Fig. v2, locking the keys K and'holding the same The pneu- ,matie15is1- of the same construction as the pneumatic I2, and the movable section ofv from moving so long asthe air-pressure 1s maintained.

, I am aware that numerous changes may be made in applying my invention to diiierent types of automatic musical instruments Within the scope oi' my claims, and I dovnot- Wish, therefore, Vto'be limited to the particular construction l scribed; but l What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ci the United States, is-

1. In an automatic musical instrument,

the combination with the keys, of a lock-bar,-

ior engaging the keys, a pneumatic having its moving member substantially in vertical alinement with the lock-bar, and a vertical rod directly connected with the bar and with the movable member of the pneumatic.

2. ln au automatic musical instrument, the combination With the keys, of a lock-bar above the keys for engaging them, a pneumatic having the free end of its movable member located directly below said bar, and a vertical rod directly connected with the bar and with the free end of the movable member of the pneumatic.

3. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the keys, of a lock-1," al' have herein shown and de- IOO for engaging the keyse rod rigidly connectl my hand in the'presen-ceof twnj'ksrlbscn'ling ed with the lock-bar, Jalle bei' and rod being Witnesses.

m'vable in a direction parallel to the length T-y W-N of the rod, and a pneum tio, the free end of TODORE P' BRG v 5 the movable end of wlii is connected with l Witnesses:

the end of said rod foro ei'ziting it. l PHLLIP SOUTHGA'TE,

In testimony Where'e have hereunt set I MARY E. REGAN. 

